Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm that his Department has received correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; if, in this context, steps will be taken by his Department to review the decision to suppress the eight mainstream class posts in the school on the grounds clearly set out in the appeal, in view of the fact if the decision stands, it will have a serious impact upon the school particularly in view of the increase in population in the catchment area thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14757/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the correspondence received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy. The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes.

My Department has written to the primary schools that are projected to have a net loss or gain in classroom teaching posts in September, 2009. As part of my efforts to ensure that relevant information is openly available to the public detailed information on the opening position for primary schools is now published on my Department's website. This provisional list sets out the details on individual schools that, taken collectively, are projected to gain 128 posts and to lose 382 posts – a net reduction of 254 posts. It is my intention to have this information updated and ultimately to set out the final position when the allocation processes are completed.

The above allocations are provisional at this stage and reflect the initial allocation position. The final position for any one school will depend on a number of other factors such as additional posts for schools that are developing rapidly and posts allocated as a result of the appeals processes.

The operation of redeployment arrangements also impacts on the final position as a teacher can remain in his or her existing school where a suitable redeployment position does not exist. The final staffing position for all schools will therefore not be known until the autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed for mainstream classroom teachers and appeals to the Staffing Appeals Board will have been considered.

Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0002/2009, available on my Department's website. The application form for appeal is also available on my Department's website. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.